Decency is incompatible with “conservatism.”
During the past eight decades “conservatives” have ignored this incompatibility and portrayed themselves as normal decent people. The result is the crisis of Republican fascism that now faces America.
Last week, the “conservative” New York Times columnist David Brooks wrote an article decrying the indecency of authoritarianism. His cluelessness about the essential indecency of “conservatism” is a prime example of the congenial ignorance that has allowed fear, amorality, and authoritarianism to gain a foothold in our politics.
Here is a summary.
1. The article uses Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign slogan about fighting for the soul of America as its text. Brooks argues that because people have souls, each individual is of infinite worth, and that this worth is deserving of absolute respect.
2. He goes on to say that Trumpism, an ethos of amorality and cruelty, habitually violates the sanctity of the individual. It is the modern American version of authoritarianism, a system that prizes dominance and submission.
3. Biden, on the other hand, shows moral leadership and respect for individuals. He is the champion of good in today’s struggle between the forces of democratic decency and authoritarian indecency.
This shows that Brooks’s heart is in the right place. His remarks about the soul make it sound like he is some sort of Christian. In any case, he clearly wishes that the forces of decency could triumph over the virus of Trumpism.
But Brooks is also a “conservative.” He no doubt believes all—or at least many—of Russell Kirk’s “ten conservative principles.” As we have shown in great detail, all of these “principles” are false. They exist to camouflage the essential immorality and indecency of “conservatism.” And they have successfully hidden the vices of “conservatism,” both from the general public and from “conservatives,” for several generations.
It is sad to see someone who so sincerely values decency be so utterly clueless about the fundamental indecency of his own beliefs. But it is also frightening to see such people continue to be clueless even even when “conservatives” have themselves discarded the mask of decency that they used to wear.
Some of these clueless people have left the Republican party and are looking for other political characters who they consider “conservative” but not crazy. Others have stayed in the party, hoping to outlast the lunacy and bring the party back to sanity eventually.
I don’t know which category Brooks belongs in. But it really doesn’t matter. Any strategy that allows these people to hang on to their “conservative” beliefs is bad for them and bad for the nation.
It is bad for them, because they will continue to live in permanent tension between their better angels—the parts that dream of decency—and their worse angels—the parts that cling to “conservatism.” They will continue to believe the illogical and immoral “principles” that are inherently dissonant with decency—and yet they will yearn longingly for decency. This sort of internal dissension is wearing.
It is bad for the nation because the longer they hold on to the delusion that “conservatism” is a defensible political construct, the longer America will have to suffer the fear, the irrationality, and the violence that “conservatism” inflicts on society.
Brooks’s article ends up being a pathetic exercise in trying to reconcile conscience with “conservatism.” Its heartfelt plea is “Why can’t ‘conservatism’ be decent?”
This is like squaring the circle, or releasing a deadly virus and then trying to instruct it not to kill. It is impossible because “conservatism” is inherently indecent. How can the indecent be decent?
There is only one answer for people like Brooks, who want to be decent but also want to keep their “conservative” beliefs.
They have to give up one or the other.
Decent Americans hope they will eventually make the right choice.
Thanks, Gloria. Hope you're doing well these days! Best, Scott
Thanks, Gloria. Hope you're feeling well!